HiDNS operates as a Private Domain Name Registry (PDNR), providing free subdomain registrations within the HiDNS namespace, including hidns.cc, hidns.co, and hidns.vip. The project aims to make domain names more accessible to individuals, developers, and small communities who need a simple and reliable presence on the internet.
HiDNS was initiated by ifeng in November 2024 as an independent effort to explore a more open and developer-friendly domain namespace. What began as a small experiment gradually evolved into a stable platform serving users who needed accessible and memorable domains.
The idea behind HiDNS emerged from a practical observation: many individuals building personal websites, open-source projects, or small online communities struggled to obtain usable free domains. At the same time, across many public suffixes, short and meaningful prefixes had already been taken. HiDNS was created as an attempt to offer a new namespace where developers and creators could start projects without unnecessary barriers.
The name HiDNS comes from “Hello DNS.” The “Hi” represents a simple greeting to developers, creators, and anyone building on the internet. The project began with the hidns.co namespace and later expanded to include hidns.vip and hidns.cc, allowing room for long-term sustainability and responsible growth.
Operating a public namespace presents challenges that extend beyond technology. Abuse such as spam, phishing websites, malicious redirects, and false positives from security vendors requires constant monitoring and responsible management. For this reason, HiDNS has always prioritized stability, accountability, and abuse prevention over rapid expansion.
Since its launch, the HiDNS registration system has gone through several stages of development. The platform initially experimented with open registration, later moved to moderated registration with manual review, and eventually adopted an invitation-based model. These changes were introduced to balance openness with responsible stewardship of shared resources.
In August 2025, the HiDNS namespaces were accepted into the Public Suffix List (PSL). This milestone increased the platform’s visibility and enabled broader compatibility across browsers and internet services. As awareness grew, HiDNS also strengthened its registration policies to prevent domain hoarding and potential abuse, ensuring that the namespace remains healthy and sustainable for legitimate users.
HiDNS is not backed by venture capital and does not operate as a traditional commercial domain registrar. Instead, it is maintained as a long-term community infrastructure project focused on reliability, careful governance, and responsible operation of a shared namespace.
Today, HiDNS continues to evolve cautiously. The goal is not to become the largest free subdomain provider, but to remain a clean, trustworthy, and stable option for individuals and projects that genuinely need one.
We encourage all users to treat the shared namespace with care. Maintaining a healthy domain ecosystem requires cooperation between operators and users alike. Together, we can ensure that HiDNS remains a sustainable and reliable resource for the broader internet community.
Contact
General inquiries:
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